Exploring Social Change: America and the World

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This introduction to social change focuses on theories that explain social change, innovation, social movements, and revolutions. The last part of the book shifts explicitly to the global level to analyze population and environmental issues and globalization. Within this framework, the book discusses topics about change and its problems familiar in sociology and social science.

Preface

viii

By Way of Introduction

1

(12)

What Is Social Change?

4

(6)

Sociology and Social Change

10

(1)

What You Can Expect from This Book and How It Is Organized

10

(3)

PART ONE SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE UNITED STATES

American Social Trends

13

(14)

Structural Trends

14

(4)

Changing Cultural Themes

18

(4)

Countertrends and Reactions: Anti- and Postmodernism

22

(2)

In Conclusion

24

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

25

(2)

Change and the Settings of Everyday Life: Population, Families, and Work

27

(19)

Demographic Change

27

(5)

Changing Families

32

(6)

Transforming Work

38

(6)

In Conclusion

44

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

44

(2)

Economics, Politics, and the American Prospect

46

(24)

The Changing Economy

46

(6)

Change in the Political System

52

(9)

Change, Problems, and the American Prospect

61

(4)

In Conclusion

65

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

68

(2)

PART TWO EXPLAINING CHANGE

The Causes and Patterns of Change

70

(29)

Theory in Sociology

71

(1)

The Causes of Change

72

(1)

Materialistic Perspectives

72

(3)

Idealistic Perspectives

75

(6)

Patterns of Change

81

(15)

In Conclusion

96

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

97

(2)

Social Theory and Social Change

99

(28)

Functionalist Theory

100

(6)

Conflict Theory

106

(9)

Interpretive Theory

115

(8)

Multiple Perspectives and Change: Reconciling Agency and Structure

123

(2)

In Conclusion: Large-Scale Change and Human Agency

125

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

125

(2)

PART THREE PROCESSES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Social Movements

127

(24)

What Are Social Movements?

128

(2)

Types of Social Movements

130

(2)

Explaining the Origins of Social Movements

132

(17)

In Conclusion

149

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

149

(2)

American Reform Movements and Social Change

151

(27)

The Social Context of Twentieth-Century American Reform Movements

151

(2)

Social Class and Reform Movements at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

153

(9)

Social Status and Reform Movements at Mid-Twentieth Century

162

(12)

In Conclusion: What Kinds of Change Do Reform Movements Accomplish?

174

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

176

(2)

Revolutions

178

(32)

What Is a Social Revolution?

178

(1)

Theories of Revolution?

179

(11)

The Outcomes of Revolution

190

(1)

A World Revolution: The Collapse of the Communist System

190

(16)

In Conclusion: But Was It a Revolution?

206

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

208

(2)

Technology, Innovation, and Networks

210

(26)

Innovation as a Change Process

210

(2)

The Act of Innovation

212

(2)

Sources of Innovation: Social and Cultural

214

(6)

Diffusion: How Innovations Spread

220

(5)

Adoption of Innovation: Social Systems and Individuals

225

(1)

Institutional Change and the Spread of Innovations

226

(2)

Social Networks

228

(4)

In Conclusion: Back at the Information Technology Revolution

232

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

235

(1)

Creating Change

236

(28)

Creating Change in Omaha: Muddling Through and Planning

238

(5)

Basic Change Strategies

243

(4)

The Role of Violence in Creating Change

247

(3)

Mixed and Complex Strategies

250

(4)

Being a Change Agent

254

(4)

The Ethics of Inducing Change

258

(2)

In Conclusion: Some Final Thoughts about the Feasibility of Creating Change

260

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

262

(2)

PART FOUR GLOBAL CHANGE

The Emerging Global System: Development and Globalization

264

(30)

Two Worlds

265

(2)

What Is Development?

267

(1)

Uneven Development

268

(4)

Developmentalist Thinking: Perspectives and Dimensions

272

(5)

Explaining Failed Development

277

(1)

Dependency and World Systems Theory

278

(2)

Structure and Dynamics of the World System

280

(6)

Globalization

286

(5)

In Conclusion: Development, Globalization, and Human Progress

291

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

293

(1)

Society, Environment, and Change

294

(24)

Ecological Perspectives on Change and Problems

294

(3)

Aspects of Ecological Change and Problems

297

(9)

Human Impacts and Global Environmental Change

306

(7)

In Conclusion: Societies, Environment, and Global Stability

313

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

316

(2)

World Futures

318

(26)

New World Order or New World Chaos?

319

(1)

Looking at the Next Fifty Years

320

(11)

Prophetic Visions: Some Longer Views

331

(9)

In Conclusion: The Third Revolution

340

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

343

(1)

Epilogue: Living in a Rapidly Changing World

344

(4)

References

348

(32)

Author Index

380

(3)

Subject Index

383

This is a book for all those who are curious about social change. It is also about how sociologists study change. It is about the substance of social change in the United States and the contemporary world; it is also about the usefulness of sociological ideas for, understanding change and methods of inquiry that have been used to understand social change. We think the topic of social change is of intrinsic interest to everyone, since its pervasive impact is felt by all and is often the cause of considerable perplexity. Sociological perspectives are uniquely suited to illuminate social change because of their holistic treatment of the different aspects of social life that other disciplines (politics, law, economics) address in a more partial way. Sociology is also a lively and contentious discipline, and we have not ignored sociological controversies or omitted complex ideas that defy oversimplification. The book requires some background, but we have tried to write a book for relative newcomers to sociology, avoiding the most arcane jargon and professional idiom for what we hope are clear language and fertile examples. It is about "big" issues, but we have tried to write in a way that engages the life experience of individuals. The topics of the book are based on what we think is important to communicate about social change based on years of teaching and thinking about it. Others may not agree. It begins with a synoptic overview of recent change in American society.Americahere refers to the United States, and when we refer to other Western Hemispheric nations, we will use their proper names, or other terms likeNorth AmericaorLatin America.Middle chapters deal with selected change processes and with sociological theories of change. The later chapters are about global change processes in the modern world. A more descriptive overview of the chapter topics and organization of the book occurs at the end of Chapter 1, so we won't elaborate more here. Writing a book involves the minds and energies of many people besides the authors. Harper would like to acknowledge his indebtedness to five teachers who have been particularly influential in his intellectual development: Ray Cuzzort, Ernest Manheim, Oscar Eggers, Jerry Cloyd, and Jack Siegman. He would also like to thank his students and colleagues at Creighton University who put up with him over the years through several editions, especially the diverse contributions of Tom Mans, Sue Crawford, and James T. Ault. Harper also thanks Barbara Braden, Dean of the Creighton University Graduate College, for her material support during the completion of the fourth edition. He also thanks professional colleagues for their support and critical feedback over the years, including Prentice Hall reviewers Gerry Cox of Black Hills State University; David Swift of the University of Hawaii; Mark Mantyh of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and Becky M. Trigg of the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Leicht first and foremost owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude to Charles Harper for his capable guidance and friendship over the past twenty years. He also owes a great deal to James T. Ault for taking a Nebraska boy who was a little wet behind the ears and turning him into a productive member of the social science community. When he was offered the opportunity to help with the revision of this text, he jumped at the chance in part because of the experiences he had as an undergraduate at Creighton University. He sincerely hopes that this text inspires others to think critically about the world around them, whether they decide to become sociologists or not. We owe a special debt of gratitude to the editorial staff of Prentice Hall, particularly Sharon Chambliss, the supportive and congenial "editor in charge" of the project, and Nancy Roberts, Publisher, who has been a constant source of unobtrusive encouragement and the most human face in a distant cor